[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Neighborhood Season 7 finale, “Welcome to Pomp and Circumstance” and “Welcome to Venice.”]
Welcome to the block, welcome to a brand new neighborhood! The Neighborhood delivered a shocking two-part Season 7 finale, the place Marty (Marcel Spears) and Malcolm Butler (Sheaun McKinney) moved from their home down the block to a brand new home in Venice Seashore, California, so Malcolm may pursue his writing profession. This storyline was presupposed to arrange the spinoff that may function Marty and Malcolm as the principle characters, however in April, it was sadly introduced it will not be shifting ahead.
The final three episodes of the season have been crammed with visitor stars, together with Garrett Morris, Justin Lengthy, and Hunter King, heartfelt moments, and a few unfigured-out emotions. With just one season left, The Neighborhood will wrap up everybody’s tales in a handful of episodes.
TV Insider spoke with Cedric The Entertainer, who performs Calvin Butler on the sitcom, about what he hopes occurs within the ultimate season, if there will probably be any acquainted visitor stars, hopes for an additional spinoff, and extra.
Sonja Fleming/CBS
Season 7 was crammed with visitor stars, together with Garrett Morris. What was it like working with him?
Cedric the Entertainer: We’ve been loving Garrett for a few years. Initially, one of many first those who we noticed on Saturday Evening Dwell. After which, after all, he had actually enjoyable roles on Martin and 2 Broke Women and only a nice TV legend, and in order that’s one of many causes we love with the ability to have him on our present. Thought it was an important Easter egg to each Tichina [Arnold, who plays Tina Butler] and Beth [Behrs, who plays Gemma Johnson] to have Gary present up as somebody who they’ve labored with and been on exhibits inside their previous careers. So, at 88 years previous, the person nonetheless is humorous and delivering traces and having us dying, we liked it, and we simply liked having him there. It was a blessing.
Is there anybody from the Kings of Comedy, Barbershop, or New Lady you’d prefer to see swing by The Neighborhood in Season 8?
Yeah, Season 8, we’re going to show it up at this level. I’m positively going to work exhausting to deliver my canine, Steve Harvey, onto the present at the least as soon as. Acquired to deliver my brother Anthony Anderson onto the present. I’ve had so lots of my nice buddies there. There have been talks to deliver Kat [Dennings] on for Beth after which I had Martin [Lawrence] come by to see Tichina and direct an episode this 12 months. And I had him come by and say hey to her. So, perhaps we will get Terry Crews to pop on for Tichina. I’d like it. After which there’s been a few talks for the individuals, all from New Lady. So we don’t know who can come by, however we’d love that, that mixing and matching the place individuals cease by. When Garrett was on the present, there was slightly humorous line on the finish the place he checked out Beth and mentioned, “Do I do know you from someplace?” It was form of cute.
You’re gearing up for the ultimate season of the collection. Why do you assume the present continues to resonate with audiences almost eight seasons in?
I believe it’s simply actually a type of enjoyable exhibits that exhibits what life actually is all about. You’ve bought so many individuals on this world — a melting pot of individuals with completely different beliefs, spiritual backgrounds, sexual orientations, and cultures, the place they’re from. If we be taught to only meet these individuals, speak to them, and get to know them, we will truly discover that there’s a possibility for development, friendship, and household, that you just simply do not know.
And that’s actually the form of the idea behind The Neighborhood, what it was all about within the very starting. And I believe that we’ve actually captured that with out being preachy. We simply form of present the world. We’re capable of discuss every kind of psychological well being, having a baby out of wedlock. We simply form of attacked all of it. How my oldest son discovered his profession later in life, how these expectations that folks assume, like life is that this to do, and we have been capable of present that. He thought he was going to be a baseball participant and ended up being a literary author. This stuff are what life is all about. And I believe that that’s what individuals love about this present, is that we attempt to dig into this stuff and discover our manner by way of them, and produce that little slice of life into this comedic world.
The Season 7 finale teased Marty and Malcolm’s subsequent chapter. How will that proceed to be integrated into The Neighborhood, particularly because the spinoff was canceled?
The spin-off didn’t occur, and that was actually unlucky. However I believe it’ll ring true and it’ll nonetheless work. These guys are very a lot nonetheless regulars for Season 8. So, I believe it’s going to be a possibility for us to do numerous issues. One is that as we’re going into the finale of the present, I believe it’s going to be necessary to indicate that Malcolm is shifting on. He’s doing his personal factor. Marty will finally most likely do one thing comparable, and we’re simply exhibiting the expansion.
Like we don’t know precisely the place our present’s going to go, however for me, a great collection finale at all times form of provides you one thing to encourage for that will or might not occur, however in the end, all of your heroes have a hero’s ending. They’ve their finish in a manner that you just’re glad and also you’re pleased, and also you even think about what their new life will probably be like past The Neighborhood or no matter. In order that’s the form of themes we’re speaking about. It’s actually early on. The blokes are getting again within the writers’ room in June, and so till then, we’re simply form of toying and enjoying with ideas and fiddle till it turns into very clear the place we’re going to move.
Does hope for a Marty and Malcolm spinoff nonetheless exist post-The Neighborhood? What do you think about it will appear to be?
Yeah, it’s nonetheless an important alternative for us to do one thing. We talked to the community instantly after they handed on this, and there’s a possibility to, after all, keep in enterprise with them and discover it. We don’t know what it’s, as a result of we thought this was such a pure match, and liked the way in which it formed up. We had nice visitor stars — Justin Lengthy got here on. We had so many cool individuals as part of the present that we thought would kill and so, we’re simply going to should try to take slightly step again and work out, like, what’s it that makes a real, nice, spin-off concept? So it’s going to develop.
Calvin and Tina are technically empty nesters heading into the ultimate season. What do you hope to see subsequent for them in Season 8?
I believe we’ll proceed to be these form of mother and father, the place Tina would most likely even wish to be a helicopter guardian much more when the youngsters have been out. Like, you’re shifting to a home, and she or he at all times there, nonetheless bringing you dishes, and also you’re like, “OK, thanks, Mother.” So I believe that form of spacing, after which, you will notice them as a pair resolve what their future is. And this concept that the youngsters have grown, they’ve performed an important job, what can we do is for us now, and so I believe that that’s actually necessary for actual individuals to consider in actual life. When you’ve gotten a younger household, you at all times form of stay for the youngsters, you do all of it for the youngsters. And then you definately get to an age the place you’re nonetheless a teen on the core of it, you continue to bought loads of life left. And also you go, like, “OK, properly, what do I do? Do I do what I wish to do now?” And I figured we will go and stay on the Ritz Carlton and an excellent luxurious yacht for about three years or one thing. Perhaps we will do this as properly, so I can get CBS to pay for it. I really like that. [Laughs]
How will Dave (Max Greenfield) and Calvin’s friendship be remodeled?
That’s the factor about it. We’ve gone from adversaries to buddies, from buddies to household to brothers, proper? We all know these guys are locked on the hip, and it’s at all times a lot enjoyable to observe. It’s a lot enjoyable to play. And I believe that that’s one of many issues as we go into Season 8, we’ll simply form of actually search for a few of these themes, the one to form of simply floor it up, perhaps even a few of these issues out loud, the place we wish to get individuals to know that there’s this concept that generally you assume you don’t combine with or perceive one other group or one other particular person, however for those who permit your self to get to know them, then you definately’ll be shocked on the commonalities. And so I believe with that, their son is rising up, he’s altering, going to highschool. We don’t know like, do they find yourself shifting to a different place as a result of they wish to be nearer to him in highschool? Do the Butlers resolve to retire and go and stay world wide and The Neighborhood form of goes and areas out now, and it’s now not that neighborhood?
Is there hope for Marty and Courtney (Skye Townsend) to pursue a relationship, or Courtney and Malcolm?
You by no means know! With Courtney and Marty, you’ll be able to really feel that spark. They’ve bought this pure rhythm and loads of shared historical past, so I believe followers are positively rooting for them. And Marty, he has a giant coronary heart, so that you by no means know. When issues would possibly line up for him, perhaps they’ll give it one other shot.
Are there any Season 8 teases you’ll be able to provide as an govt producer?
Not at this level. I imply, we bought the data that we have been renewed after we wrapped and we have been actually pleased to know that we have been getting Season 8, after which, they knowledgeable us that it will be the ultimate season. So we haven’t actually locked in precisely the place we plan on going but. However we’re excited that we get to inform our story and wrap it up, and we wish to make certain our followers are happy and so they like it. We could have loads of enjoyable all through Season 8 and hopefully lead you to a finale that feels worthy of the present that’s coming to your private home on Monday nights for eight seasons.
When The Neighborhood does come to an in depth, would you come back to scripted TV or revisit internet hosting?
I imply, I don’t know. I’m a inventive. I’m continuously producing loads. I even have a manufacturing cope with CBS/Paramount, so, I’m creating different exhibits for myself and different individuals. We’re simply going to search for that proper factor, one thing that’s enjoyable to play, the completely different character, perhaps, and however I’m open and keen to come back again and do a sitcom, perhaps even do some form of dramatic scene or two in a procedural, and we’re creating a few recreation exhibits, so which may be one thing I can do, hopefully all collectively if I get one thing that’s enjoyable to do. However, I’m enthusiastic about all of the alternatives forward.
You have been the Honey Pot on The Masked Singer. What was that have like?
That was an attention-grabbing expertise for certain! My buddy Anthony Anderson did it and he at all times talks about it so I knew I needed to give it a shot after they reached out with the chance. Let me let you know, that costume was HOT! However it was such a enjoyable, out-of-the-box expertise. I don’t assume anybody actually anticipated me to be up there so it was enjoyable to have the ability to shock people and exhibit a few of my different abilities. Plus, it was enjoyable to problem myself to maintain the key from my family and friends despite the fact that I believe they figured it out fairly shortly. I believe the hat and my voice form of gave it away.
The Neighborhood, Eighth and Last Season, TBA, CBS